Counterbalancing device



R. R. CANDOR COUNTERBALANCING DEVICE Feb. 28., 1950 Filed oct. 8, 1948 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 Rohortf Candor,,AOakwoodzr Ollio,y assifgnor.. to.` General .Motors4 Gorporationl; lliayton',J Ohio,v a

corporation ofDeIaware apprestano-embers, wrseseriamo. 53,534A .o1-.Claims (oma-.603);

This invention relates'toreirigeratine,amparar tus; .and morespartioularlyftoiuidztranslating der vicesafor; coenpressinaigases orxv pnmpingliquidsf An'lobj ect of: thissinventioniisfto; proyide; aiflnid; translating device;.such..asza;gas compressor', orga liquid.A nomia:r inf.. whichpairs... or; aligned pistons.

rotate aboutzoisetzaxesi andfcause aoylinderfsnnportingstructuregto;rotate;about; an orbitalaxisl andzimwhich Kcormterloalarming .rneans-fis; provided in zcounterloalancingrelation @tofsaid .cylinder sup; portinggstxzuoture;

Further; objectssand-advantaees or` the. presentL invention-winne apnarenttfrom ,thefollovtnsole.-A scriptionireierenee beinaihadtottlie. a.ce@manonne` ingdrawing@ wherein; a preferred. form. of; the presentinventionisclearly shown-.1U

Intned-rawings:

. Fig; Lis a verti'oaL crossesoot/.ionsof,,ansappara71 tuszemloodyingieatures foimn invention and Fig.; 2.- is;a;;,horizonta1 .crossfsection taken .morel onglessalonezthe l-lnele-Zfofslg. .1.

The',structnreiheren diselosedmay, cornpress-a` gassin a.retrieeratinefsystemor inanyfotherfsyse tem; Aor Ymay.nunon iailiquid .for any n11r11f The. mechanism man include: a. rotary: drive shaft;y lil,wfhiclr driuingly-` seuredto apair o if. alignedipistons; H.; to rotate.them-about-.thez exis of; tnefshafi; A second nairfof: aliened. nistons' l-2arefmountedto rotatey abont-.anwaxis offset from pistons lle may/nare; as longitudinal: construction substantially thasasme, ns. that-.on pistons. i- 2.,, ont at right: anglass-thereto;` Conveniently the, pistons i2; may;` be; mounted.; toe rotate: about: an axis. ese# lnablishedaloyI theaflxedtpin lf3 A cylindersup-f. porting structureL M, is-v free: tofrollatev about.V anorbi-tally: moving axis,4l sinceA it reoiprocablyre; ceives-thefpistons L-I. and` I2. in. cylinders; l--!0L .a,1;ul` 42a resp,actively.'` The; structure Ht a rig-id structurefwhich; may he constructed; by providingJ an upper disc Het containingl cylinders Ha anda lower disc. Mb containingl cylinders.y I-Za.- Whichgdiscsf are joined together by vertical'wails No. 'TheA entire? structurer.. |14: is clampedA rigidly. together bythe-bolts, olv-screws Me.

A: Counter-balancing; strllture;1 is; provided, togetlier witmmea-nszto drive: theV connterbal-ancing structure in counter/balancing relationship to .the cylinder supporting- ;structure I4.'- Tfhis conveneiently may;N take the formof a firs-t counterbalance guider t5; which: is keyedfto; the-shaft.. l0, ,and is rotatable coaxially withtheshaft llt.A rlflfie guiderl5 is, provided With,` affirstf linear sliding surfaoe,l formed bythe key: |-6..4. llheskeyl lr6?r is.-.-at.rig ht anglosrtorthe first pairor pistons Il; Afsecond;

counterloalancing guider 5 l1, mounted to rotate cciaxiallyV with tlievsecond-pair of pistons., |21, and. conyeniently may navata-bearing surface-fon the. pin t; to.( ausefsnolorotation.A Theguider l1, has.v aseeondzlinear sliding surfacawhich isformed.

loyg thelongitudinalfkey. I8.- Thissliding:surface` I'Bsissaij/right angles-to thesecond pair of pistons` 1.2;, Afcounterbalancing structure. I Slis vfree to ro.-A tate about :an-orbitally moving-axis, and is guided in' rotation by-'thefthrdaand fourthlinear. slid-- ingsnrfaces .2 tandfgl yrespeotively in sliding. relaationshipgto thes faces i6: and llii vThe sliding Surfaces`v 21B-l a 2l; preferablyk are longitudinal eroovesiormed thestructure: i 9:- at-rieht anales tothe 'nairs .ofv. pistonsC I: l and l2. respectively,v as shown. in the.: draiivfingsil TheV counterbalancing structurev lli.y may be a. heavy..- weigh-t fori-ned.`

wholly Within the., cylinderA supporting. structure. Iilgorf itzrnay-v be provided with radial arms 212 .eirtendingi,tnrongli.4 openings; 235,11; the. structure MJ 'Ilhearrns' 22-. may beprovided With-.weights 2L The; openings 2.3;. are;suiicientlyl large to permit. the; necessary; relative;movementi of` the arms 22.?. 'Il'ie;.1nassl oitheoounterbalancing. Ystructure is. vso chosenfthatfit: exerts ansubstantially equaland op. posite centrifugal force to the cylinderv supporte inestructureM-f suitable-g valving. or.l porting mayr be; pro.- videderforthe. compressing or pumping spaces. For example, thecylinders Ha and [2a. may be` sealed at-the endsby Ineanso bands. 26; which` may be welded or boltedl tothe. discsl 4a. andfiA'b.. inletv pine; 2J: is-vconnected. to av passageway; 28 leading j to suitable. groovesin Y the, plates 291 and 3.0.; which form the outer` casing. of thecompresf son, together.:A with:` the, cylindrical Wall 3l The inlet grooves are formed in the `plates 2.a andi.' 311 irrarc-like: forms. at thosefplaces in-the orbits-ofthe endsloitloee, cylinders- Whore the pistons-are, movingv relatively` inward tov perform a` suction stroke. The grooves in the plates 29 and 30a're joinedato: the cylinders byf passageways- 3 2, which coonera-teA with, the. inlet.4 grooves to.. connect the. cylinders withv tl'ie;` intake piped 2.1. Likewise. a

discharge:.pipeftY is, connected. by passagewaysel with other arc-like discharge grooves` in. the plates 29 and 30, so,-positioned;as torconnectwith the :cylinders at. those :places intheir orbitswhere the, pistons-are performing .a compressing stroke. The-location of; the.grooves -may becorrectly de.

termined. by` assemblingE the machine and pirot-A vidingonarkers' infthe passagewaysZ, which will make@aroelikemarksfon theplates ZBandSU., and'. thesefmay 4111e usedatosguide .in .the .,forrning of the. grooves;` The: arcs formingtthe intake .and coms.

pression strokes may be ascertained by observing the relative movement of the pistons and the cylinders, and thus correct grooves may be formed in the plates 29 and 30 to provide inlet and discharge grooves for the cylinders.

While the porting of the cylinders has been indicated to be formed by grooves, it is to be understood that other valving means may be provided, such as check valves at the ends of the cylinders and pistons, together with the passageways leading into the center of the pistons which may be hollowed out with each passageway leading to the check valves at ends of the pistons, as is well known in the compressor and pumping art.

Proper lubrication may be provided by placing lubricant in the casing formed by the plates 29 and 30 and the cylindrical wall 3l. Lubrication may be accomplished by splash action, or by the Y usual oil grooves formed in relatively moving surfaces, as is well known in the lubrication art.

In the operation machine, the shaft lil is rotatably driven by any suitable power means. This causes the pistons II to rotate about the axis of shaft I0 and also causes similar rotation of the guider I5. Rotation of the pistons II cause rutation of the cylinder supporting structure I4, which cylinder supporting structure I4, however, is also free to reciprocate relatively to the pistons II, since the cylinders Ila which receive pistons II are longer than the pistons II and extend throughout the diameter of the plate Illa. Rotation of the structure I4, including the plate I4b, in turn causes rotation of the pistons I2 about the offset axis formed by the pin I3. The structure I4 is also free to reciprocate relatively to the pistons I2 by reason of the longitudinal extent of the cylinders I2a which are longer than the pistons I2. The axis of rotation of the cylinder supporting structure I4 moves about a circular orbit the diameter of which is established by the axes of the shaft I0 and pin I3, and this orbit is completed twice during each revolution of the shaft I0. The cylinder supporting structure I4 therefore has a planetary rotating movement about a center midway between the axes of the shaft IIJ and pin I3.

In the meantime, the counterbalancing structure I9 also has a planetary rotating movement, with its axis of rotation moving in a circular or'- bit the center of which is midway between the axes of the shaft I0 and pin I3. The axis of rotation of the counterbalance structure I9 is at 180 degrees from the axis of rotation of the cylinder supporting structure I4, by reason of the 90 degree offset between grooves and 2I and the respective pistons II and I2. Therefore the counterbalancing structure I9 completely counterbalances the otherwise unbalanced centrifugal force of the structure I4, and provides a dynamically and statically counterbalance mechanism.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a first pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a first counterbal-ance guider rotatable coaxially with said shaft and having a first linear sliding surface at right angles to said first pair of pistons; a second pair ofr aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis offset from the axis of said shaft; a second counterbalance guider mounted to rotate coaxially with said second pair of pistons and having a second linear sliding surface at right angles to said second pair of pistons; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said iirst and second pairs of pistons; and a counterbalancing structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and having third and fourth linear sliding surfaces at right angles to each other and reciprocably receiving said first and second linear sliding surfaces respectively.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a iirst pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a first counterbalance guider rotatable coaxially with said shaft and having a first linear sliding surface at right angles to said first pair of pistons; a second pair of aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis oiset from the axis of said shaft; a second counterbalance guider mounted to rotate coaxially with said second pair of pistons and having a second linear sliding surface at right angles to said second pair of pistons; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said iirst and second pairs of pistons; and a counterbalancing structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and having third and fourth linear sliding surfaces at right angles to each other and reciprocably receiving said first and second linear sliding surfaces respectively, said counterbalancing structure being located between said pairs of pistons.

3. In a device of the character described in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a first pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a first counterbalance guider rotatable coaxially with said shaft and having a first linear sliding surface at right angles to said first pair of pistons; a second pair of aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis oiTset from the axis of said shaft;

a second counterbalance guider mounted to rotate coaxially with said second pair of pistons and having a second linear sliding surface at right angles to said second pair of pistons; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said rst and second pairs of pistons; and :a counterbalancing structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and having third and fourth linear sliding surfaces at right angles to each other and reciprocably receiving said first and second linear sliding surfaces respectively, said counterbalance guiders being located between said pairs of pistons.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a first pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a first counterbalance guider rotatable coaxially with said shaft and having a first linear sliding surface at right angles to said first pair of pistons; a second pair of aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis offset from the axis of said shaft; a second counterbalance guider mounted to rotate coaxially with said second pair of pistons and having a second linear sliding surface at right angles to said second pair oi pistons; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said first and Second pairs of pistons; and a counterbalancing structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and having third and fourth linear sliding surfaces at right angles to each other and reciprocably receiving said rst and second linear sliding surfaces respectively, said counterbalancing structure and counterbalance guiders being located between said pairs of pistons.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a second pair of aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis offset from the axis of said shaft; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said pairs of pistons; a counterbalancing structure; and means to drive said counterbalancing structure in counterbalancing relationship to said cylinders and cylinder supporting structure.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination: a rotary drive shaft; a pair of aligned pistons drivingly secured to said shaft to rotate about the axis of said shaft; a second pair of aligned pistons mounted to rotate about an axis offset from the aXis of said shaft; a cylinder supporting structure free to rotate about an orbitally moving axis and including cylinders reciprocably receiving said pairs of pistons; a counterbalancing structure; and means to drive said counterbalancing structure rotatably about an 7orbitally moving axis in counterbalancing relationship to said cylinders and cylinder supporting structure.

ROBERT R. CANDOR.

No references cited. 

